Jacob Duffy has been named in New Zealand’s 16-man squad for the upcoming five-match One Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies, marking his return to international cricket since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final in March. The series is scheduled to begin on July 12, with the first three matches set to take place at the Guyana National Stadium in Georgetown, before moving to Barbados’s Kensington Oval for the final two games on July 20 and 22.
Duffy, a 31-year-old seamer from Otago and the 2025-26 recipient of the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal as New Zealand’s player of the year, was sidelined from the recent England Test series due to the birth of his first child and his IPL commitments with Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he featured in six matches and took nine wickets. His return is seen as a boost to New Zealand's pace bowling options.
Joining Duffy is fellow pacer Matthew Fisher, who will make his ODI debut after previously representing New Zealand in one Test match against Zimbabwe last August and a T20 International against Bangladesh in April. Fisher, 26, has a strong domestic one-day record, having taken 43 wickets at an average of 26. He joins a pace group that also includes Kristian Clarke, Ben Sears, and Nathan Smith, who was player of the series in the recent England Tests with 16 wickets.
Mitchell Santner will continue as captain for the white-ball side and will be supported in the spin department by Michael Bracewell, Jayden Lennox, and Dean Foxcroft. Tom Latham is selected as wicketkeeper, with top-order batting led by Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Nick Kelly, and Daryl Mitchell, who is the top-ranked ODI batsman in the world.
Several key players will be absent from the squad after New Zealand’s Test series victory over England, including Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, and Will O’Rourke, who have been rested following heavy workloads. Blair Tickner is unavailable due to scheduled ankle surgery, while Devon Conway will miss the tour to spend time with his family after the birth of his second child. Rachin Ravindra will also be absent as he participates in Major League Cricket in the United States.
New Zealand’s previous ODI tour of the Caribbean in 2022 was historic, as they secured their first series win there in the 50-over format. The upcoming matches will start early in the New Zealand time zone and will be broadcast on Sky’s ESPN channel and Disney+.
Black Caps coach Rob Walter expressed enthusiasm about the squad selections, highlighting Fisher’s pace and developing variations as assets for the team, and welcoming Duffy back for his experience and consistency across formats. The series promises to test New Zealand’s depth as they aim to build on their recent international successes.